State field guide · Data updated November 2026
Snakes in Ohio
Quick answer
Ohio has about 25 native snake species, and only three of them are venomous: the northern copperhead, the timber rattlesnake and the eastern massasauga. Snakes are venomous, not poisonous: they inject venom with a bite. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources notes that none of the three venomous species is common. Two are rare rattlesnakes protected by law. Almost every snake found in an Ohio yard, garden or basement is harmless.
- Species
- 25
- native species
- Venomous
- 3
- all pit vipers
- Protected
- 2
- of the 3 venomous
01 — Venomous species first
The venomous snakes of Ohio
All three of Ohio’s venomous snakes are pit vipers: they have a heat-sensing pit between eye and nostril, vertical pupils and a broad head. Two have rattles. All three are uncommon to rare, and the two rattlesnakes survive only in a handful of places.
Rocky, wooded hillsides in a few counties of unglaciated southeast Ohio. Hourglass-shaped bands and a plain, pale upper lip; young snakes have a yellow or greenish tail tip.
MISTAKEN FOR common watersnakes (which have a barred upper lip), eastern milksnake, young gray ratsnakes.
Timber rattlesnakeCrotalus horridusMature forest in eight southeastern counties: Adams, Athens, Hocking, Jackson, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton. Dark chevrons on a brown to golden body; some are nearly black.
MISTAKEN FOR gray ratsnakes and black racers (dark individuals), banded snakes in leaf litter.
Eastern massasaugaSistrurus catenatusA few scattered, poorly drained wetlands and wet prairies. Rarely over 2 feet; slow to rattle, and its buzz can sound like a grasshopper.
MISTAKEN FOR eastern hognose snake, eastern milksnake, young foxsnakes.
If someone is bitten, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222. If a pet is bitten, take it to a veterinarian right away. This page gives no first-aid or treatment instructions; see our safety disclaimer.
The cottonmouth does not live in Ohio: there are no confirmed Ohio records, and dark watersnakes are often mistaken for it. The Ohio History Connection asks people to report any suspected cottonmouth to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Copperhead vs cottonmouth.
02
Snakes recorded in Ohio
Species are grouped by how often people report them. Abundance is our editorial estimate from agency guides and varies by region. Snakes with a full profile on this site have a photo and link; the others are listed by name. Subspecies are grouped under their species, and Ohio Division of Wildlife names (gartersnake, watersnake) are used where they differ from ours.
Common · 8
Thamnophis sirtalis
Ohio’s most familiar snake, in yards, parks and fields statewide.
Nerodia sipedon
Streams, ponds and lakes statewide; the Lake Erie watersnake is an island form.
Storeria dekayi
Small; common in gardens, vacant lots and city parks.
Coluber constrictor
The black racer in the east and the blue racer in the west.
Diadophis punctatus
Slate gray with a yellow-orange neck ring; hides under logs and stones.
Lampropeltis triangulum
Reddish-brown blotches; often found in barns and outbuildings.
Ohio’s largest snake; a forest climber found in most of the state except much of the northwest. Older guides call it the black rat snake.
Rocky streams; eats freshly molted crayfish.
Uncommon · 10
Agkistrodon contortrix
Storeria occipitomaculata
Virginia valeriae
Heterodon platirhinos
Flattens its neck and hisses, then plays dead.
Opheodrys aestivus
Southern Ohio shrubs and vines, often near water.
Southern Ohio; eats other snakes.
Southern Ohio, under stones and logs.
Wet meadows and old fields, mostly in northern and western Ohio.
Northwest Ohio and Lake Erie marshes; often mistaken for a copperhead.
Rare or local · 6
Crotalus horridus
State endangered; eight southeastern counties.
Sistrurus catenatus
Federally threatened; a few wetland sites.
Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta
Ohio’s form of the plain-bellied watersnake; wetlands in the far west and northwest.
Thamnophis radix
Isolated prairie remnants in west-central Ohio.
Small, secretive; red belly with black spots. Wet meadows in western and central Ohio.
Moist grassy areas, mainly in the north.
03
Identify by color
Color is the first thing most people notice, but it varies with age and region. Use these groups to narrow the list, then check the head, pupils and pattern on the species profile.
Adult gray ratsnakes, black racers and black kingsnakes. Some timber rattlesnakes are nearly black, so check for a rattle and a broad head.
Copperheads, both rattlesnakes, milksnakes, watersnakes, hognose snakes and foxsnakes. The largest group and the one with most lookalikes.
Rough greensnakes in southern Ohio shrubs and smooth greensnakes in northern grasslands. Both are harmless and eat insects.
Garter and ribbon snakes, Butler’s and plains gartersnakes and the queensnake. None of Ohio’s venomous snakes are striped.
Red-bellied snakes, copperbelly watersnakes and Kirtland’s snakes; the ring-necked snake has a yellow-orange neck ring and belly.
Copperhead if the upper lip is plain and pale; a watersnake if the lip is barred with dark lines.
04
By region
Ohio splits into the flat, glaciated north and west and the rugged, unglaciated hills of the southeast. Most of the state’s venomous snakes live in the southeast.
Lake Erie marshes, the Oak Openings and the old Great Black Swamp country. Eastern foxsnakes, Butler’s gartersnakes and the rare copperbelly watersnake. No copperheads or timber rattlesnakes.
The Lake Erie watersnake, an island form of the common watersnake, basks on rocky shorelines around the western Lake Erie islands.
Gartersnakes, brownsnakes, milksnakes and watersnakes around the metros. The eastern massasauga survives at a few scattered wetland sites in the glaciated part of the state.
Farmland and prairie remnants. Plains gartersnakes and Kirtland’s snakes in a few places; racers, milksnakes and brownsnakes are widespread.
River valleys and wooded hills along the Ohio River. Black kingsnakes, rough greensnakes, queensnakes in rocky streams and gray ratsnakes.
Unglaciated forest from Shawnee State Forest to the Hocking Hills. Ohio’s only area for copperheads and timber rattlesnakes, plus wormsnakes and greensnakes.
05
Geography & climate
Glaciers flattened the northern and western two-thirds of Ohio, leaving farmland, marshes and scattered prairie. The southeast escaped glaciation and is a region of steep, forested hills and rock outcrops. That split shapes where snakes live: copperheads and timber rattlesnakes are confined to the unglaciated southeast, while the massasauga and several gartersnakes are tied to wetlands and prairie in the glaciated part of the state.
Ohio has cold winters, so snakes spend several months below ground. Gray ratsnakes may share rock-crevice winter dens with copperheads and rattlesnakes. Most snakes are seen from spring through early fall.
06
Prey & predators
Ohio snakes eat mice and voles, frogs and toads, fish, crayfish, earthworms, slugs, insects, eggs and other snakes. Ratsnakes and milksnakes help control rodents around farms. The queensnake specializes in crayfish, the hognose snake in toads, and the black kingsnake and racers eat other snakes. Small snakes eat lizards such as the five-lined skink.
Snakes are eaten by hawks, owls, herons, foxes, raccoons, skunks, house cats and the Virginia opossum. Road traffic, habitat loss and people killing snakes on sight also take a toll, especially on the rattlesnakes.
07
Invasive species
None of the sources we used report an established nonnative snake in Ohio. Escaped pet snakes turn up from time to time, and an unfamiliar snake is worth reporting to the Ohio Division of Wildlife. For federally restricted species, see our injurious reptiles tool.
08
Laws & protected snakes
Timber rattlesnake: listed as endangered in Ohio since 1992 and protected under Ohio Revised Code 1531.25. The Ohio Division of Wildlife asks people not to disturb one and to contact their county wildlife officer or local law enforcement if a timber rattlesnake must be moved.
Eastern massasauga: listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act since 2016.
Other listed snakes: Ohio law lets the Division of Wildlife restrict taking or possessing native wildlife threatened with statewide extirpation, and several reptiles are state listed. Check the Division of Wildlife’s current state-listed species list before handling or moving any snake.
Our sources do not set out general rules on killing nonvenomous snakes. Check with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife before killing or moving any snake. For a harmless snake living where it cannot stay, ODNR suggests capture and release at least a mile from the home.
Keep reading
Sources
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources — Nuisance species: snakes
- Ohio Division of Wildlife — Preserving the timber rattlesnake (Pub 115)
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources — Gray ratsnake
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources — State listed species
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Eastern massasauga listed as threatened
- Ohio History Connection — Springtime snake ID, part II
- Akron Zoo — Celebrating World Snake Day
Data updated November 2026 · How we build these pages · Data sources